hewett



(No Model.)

P. M. HEWETT.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 375,157. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS MARION HEWETT, OF BEIBNE, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CARL FOLKSDORF AND MATHIAS NELLES, BOTH OF SAME IELAGE.

CAR-COUPLING.

r SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,157, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed August 24, 1887. Serial No. 217,788.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS Marion HEW- ETT, ofBeirne, in the county of Clark and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a carcoupling in which a draw-head having hinged spring-actuated jaws engages with one end of a doublero headed coupling-bar, the other end of said coupling-bar being held in a similar manner within the draw-head of the adjacent car.

The object of myinvention is to provide a draw-head of simple constructiomwhich may be easily put together or taken apart when required and operated from either side of the car to release the coupling-bar.

A further object of my invention is to combine the spring-actuated jaws with the drawhead in such manner that the coupling-bar will be withdrawn from the draw-head if one of the cars should be overturned, and to apply the springs for actuating thejaws to the draw-head in such manner that they may be easily ad- 2 justed to the required tension and may be removed from or placed in the draw-head when required.

The improvement consists in certain constructions and combinations of parts, herein- 3:) after described, and particularly designated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved draw-head with the coupling-bar attached; Fig. 2, a vertical section in line :0 0c of Fig. 1, and Fig.3 a horizontal section in line y y of Fig. 2.

To the platform or frame of an ordinary car is secured a draw-head, A, by means of a drawbar, B, in any well-known or preferred man- 0 her. The forward ends of jaws O are hinged to the forward end and inner sides of the drawhead A and project inwardly to swing across and close the mouth of the draw-head. The jaws O are supported to swing upon upright bolts D, projecting from the top and bottom of the draw-head and secured by nuts D and keys D arranged, respectively, at their upper and lower ends, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper ends of the bolts D are squared at d below the screw-threaded portion to receive curved arms E E, held securely thereon by the nuts D,

(No model.)

which sweep rearwardly to bear against the opposite sides of a rocking-bar tripper, F, pivotally secured. to the top of the draw-head by the screw-boltf. An eye, f, in the rear end of the tripper F is connected by chains F F to the opposite sides of the car, and may be pulled in either direction to rock the tripper and open thejaws O by pressing against the inner sides and rear ends of the arms E E, and thus release the coupling-bar.

'The coupling-bar G has arrow-headed ends Gr G which are inserted between the upright jaws O and interlock with their inner upright edges. The jaws G are pressed together by spiral springs H, which are passed through holes a in the sides of the draw-head, and are held in place by pintles 0 upon the outer sides of the jaws G and by the inner end of screwbolts I, fitted in the said holes a, which may be adjusted to force the springs H with more or less pressure against the outer sides of the jaws O. I

By removing the screw-bolts I and upright bolts D the springsH and jaws C may both be removed from the draw-head. The couplingbar G is held upright within the draw-head A by the spring-actuated jaws pressing against the flattened sides of the coupling-bar G, and when the coupling-bar is turned upon its side by overturning or upsetting the car the said coupling-bar will be Withdrawn from the drawhead of the adjacent car, and thus prevent it from being pulled off the track.

The arms IE, it will be seen, are fixed rigidly to the jaws C, so that any movement imparted to said arms will effect a like movement of the jaws, and the tripper F is pivoted and has pon tions on opposite sides of the pivot, which portions on opposite sides of the pivot will en go gage with the operating'arms of the jaws 0, when the tripper F is turned and operates to force such arms and the jaws apart to release the coupling bar or link. I form the openings at sufficiently large to receive the springs H, so that such springs may be inserted and removed through the openings at, which latter will serve as sockets for the outer ends of the springs, while the bolts I, in addition to serving as means for adjusting the tension of the springs, also act as stops or back-bearings for the outer ends of the springs, as will be readily seen.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head, the spring-actuated locking jaws or plates pivoted thereto at the opposite sides thereof, the arms fixed to said jaws, and the pivoted tripper arranged between said arms, such tripper being disconnected from said arms, but arranged to engage the same, substantially as and for the purposes specified. 2. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, the pivoted spring-actuated jaws, and the arms fixed rigidly to said jaws, of the pivoted tripper arranged between said arms and having portions on opposite sides of its pivot, which portions are arranged and adapted to engage the arms, whereby to spread the same apart, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a car-coupling, the draw-head having openings (1 in its sides, which openings are threaded to receive the bolts I, and made ol'such size as to permit the insertion and removal of the springs H through them, the pivoted jaws O, the springs H, engagingat one end with the jaws O and socketed at their opposite ends in the inner ends of the openings a, and the bolts I, threaded into the outer ends of openings a and adapted to serve as bearings to receive the pressure of springs H and as means for adj usting the tension of said springs, snbstantiall y as set forth.

4;. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, of the springactnated jaws O, upright bolts D, arms E E, secured to the upper end thereof, and a rocking-bar tripper, F, and chains F F adapted to open the said jaws from either side of the car, substantially as described.

FRANOIS MARION HEWETT.

Witnesses:

CARL FOLKSDORF, MA'rHIAs NELLEs. 

